We are just 16 days away from my longest race yet, Las 16 Millas de Sabrina (I swear I didn’t plan to post this today, it’s a coincidence).

Just like my coach said when I signed up, the training has gotten tougher but I have been up for it, waking up early to go on the Saturday morning long runs and completing them. They have been almost twice as long as the long runs I have been used to doing, and in ridiculous summer heat. This gives you no choice but to want to get up early for your run and finish the  9.5 miles before the sun shines too bright and you melt.

It has also let me face another fear, which I had not been able to overcome in over a year, crossing a busy street, three way stop. The first time, almost two weeks ago, I crossed it with two friends, but  last week I was able to do it alone. I was terrified, but so proud of myself when I made it to the other side. 

I also made it to the second oasis for the second time, where I fueled up with water, Gatorade and bananas, which are life savers when you get hungry mid run. This helped me get enough energy to head back. Along the way, I was able to meet up with some friends who were also heading back. 

As I talked to them, I finally realized why I’m not as nervous for this race as I was last year before the half marathon in November. That was going to be my longest race yet, just like this one will be now, but back then, even though I knew my friends from the group would be there, I thought I would be alone during the race. That didn’t happen last time, and it won’t happen this time. We’re all completing the race individually, but we’re not racing each other. We plan to stick together, cheer each other on and make sure we all cross the finish line. 

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Published by mariacristinasanfeliu

I’m an aspiring writer still looking for exactly what I want to write about, with a lot of creativity, imagination and desire to write. I studied Writing and Rhetoric at Syracuse University where I explored many different sides of writing through my classes and extracurricular activities in order to narrow my search for an identity as a writer. I have written for Citrus TV Noticias and La Voz magazine, both of which gave me the chance to explore different mediums in which to write in. Through Citrus TV Noticias I also gained experience in translating from English to Spanish and vice versa, which is also something that I would be interested in working on since I am fluent in both of these languages. I was also an intern at Syracuse University Press where I got hands on experience in what goes into actually editing and publishing a book. Through out the last four years I have faced a lot of challenges, which helped chape the person I am today. After being in a tragic car accident, being in comma, having a Traumatic Brain Injury, and being in therapy for over a year, I am a new me, willing to face challenges and knowing how to deal with them. I want to write about my accident and life after it to help others, show them it can be done and help in any way I can.

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